AN: Word count went from 4k to 6k after I noticed a plothole lol
Chapter 5 Recuperation
Bright light assaulted Yor's eyes when she came to. She immediately squeezed them shut and focused on her other senses. She was lying on a bed, not exactly soft, but it was decently comfortable. Smells of disinfectants, rubber, cleaning products, and other chemicals permeated the room.
There was a prick of the IV needle inserted into the skin of her left hand. The pain in her abdomen was subdued. Must have been due to the effects of the anesthetic that hadn't been flushed out of her system yet. She wondered how much they had to use to keep her sedated, since she had high tolerance to drugs and poisons. Hopefully not an abnormal amount. That would raise suspicion.
The outfit she was wearing felt different. Lighter, almost weightless, and a little itchy on her skin. She panicked a little when she couldn't feel her weapons in their usual place. Had the person who changed her outfit seen her weapons? Though knowing Garden, they probably had moles planted in the hospital and the moment she got admitted they had secretly removed her weapons before she went through surgery.
Hopefully, they found that strip of intel in her pocket as well. She might get away with letting Twilight escape for the second time, but if she had returned without that intel which could contain crucial information that could bring down Garden, then they would never forgive her and she'd never forgive herself either.
"Yoooorrrrr!"
Yor jumped and her eyes flew open when the door slammed against the wall, leaving a heavy indent where the knob was and revealing the bedraggled appearance of her younger brother, Yuri, hugged by the bright light and exuding an almost ethereal aura. He was at her side in an instant, falling to his knees and spilling tears everywhere as he hugged her and wailed.
"Yuri!" Yor debated between telling him to quiet down and hugging him back, and she settled on hugging him back, tugging on the IV drip as she did so. He must have been worried sick, considering his usually immaculate appearance was now disheveled. His tousled hair stuck up in odd directions, his shirt was full of wrinkles and food stains, and…he was starting to smell. "Yuri, how long haven't you showered?"
Yuri lifted his head and allowed her a glimpse of the dark circles under his eyes. "Three days."
Yor sighed.
"If not showering means I can keep my beloved sister safe, then I'm willing to not shower for a month!"
She huffed out a laugh, being careful to not tug on her wound. "Please don't do that."
"It's necessary! Who knows what those bastards have up their sleeves!?"
"Who are you talking about?"
Yuri dragged a chair beside the bed and plopped onto it, his shoulders sagging as he sighed. It was almost as if the mere act of sitting down was enough to relieve him of his stress.
I should have also asked him how long he hasn't slept.
"The one who kidnapped Anya and shot you." Yuri's expression darkened. The murderous glint in his eyes reminded Yor strongly of the stone cold gaze of Twilight before he nearly slit her neck. "Apparently, he used to work for a man named Edgar but when asked, Edgar and his men all denied having anything to do with this kidnapping. Of course, that has to be a lie. And I will get to the bottom of this, using any means necessary!"
"Did the police tell you about this?"
Yuri stalled for a moment before answering. "Yeah, they were the ones who did the digging, obviously." He clenched his fist. "And those incompetent fools actually believed a guy would kidnap a child for no reason and wrapped the case! As if! I swear when I get my hands on it…"
"Isn't that a good thing? The case is closed because there's nothing more to be found."
Hopefully, there's nothing more to be found…
"Of course there is! Don't tell me you believe some weirdo would drive around at night and see a kid and kidnap her without a motive, plan, and accomplices backing him up!? Plus, what if he targets you next!?"
"He's already dead, Yuri."
"I will never forgive him if he were to lay a finger on you!"
Yor sighed and decided to let him rant on. He was doing so out of concern for her, after all. She leaned into the pillow, making herself comfortable as she watched Yuri with a forlorn gaze. It wasn't the first time that he fussed over her and drove himself into a frenzy when he saw her get hurt, but this was the first time she came this close to death and nearly surrendered to her enemy. Rather than feeling overwhelmed and unsettled by his overprotectiveness, this time all she felt was gratitude and relief. Grateful for being alive, and relieved that she could still see Yuri one more time.
It made her realize how much she had to live for, and how much had entered her life since she first met Loid at the Tailor Store. She wasn't just Yor Briar, an average civil servant working a 9 to 5 job with no hobbies, no family except a younger brother who no longer needed her support.
Now, she had an actual family, people who were waiting for her to return home, who needed her love and support, who gave meaning to her life…
She had been so ready to die back then, but if Loid had gone on with it, if Bond hadn't interrupted him, then it wasn't just the Shopkeeper she would have disappointed, it was also Yuri, and Anya, and Bond, and…
How would Loid react if he actually killed me?
That look in his eyes… What made him change his mind at the last second?
Was he simply startled by Bond and missed his mark? Or did he purposefully miss it because he didn't want me dead?
If it was the former, then Yor would need to thank Bond.
And Anya, because there was no way she didn't have anything to do with this.
She must have heard everything going on in their mind about their missions and realized they were fighting each other and wanted to follow after them to make sure they were okay. That also explained why she jumped away like a scared cat the morning after Yor nearly killed Twilight.
All those murder fantasies she brought up in her mind, all those disturbing whisperings of the things she'd love to do to Twilight, to Anya's father, once she got her hands on him…
No one, especially no child, should ever have to hear that, hear the kind of pain her mother wished to inflict on her father.
Just how many times had she unintentionally traumatized the little girl?
"Are you listening, Yor?"
Yor jolted out of her thoughts so fast her head spun. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
Yuri grinned proudly and thumped his fist against his chest. "I've decided to accept my promotion."
Yor was finally able to get Yuri to leave, go home, and take a shower after promising to give him a kiss on the cheek after his promotion.
Loid stopped by almost immediately after Yuri left, as if he had been keeping watch this whole time.
Knowing him, he probably was.
"How are you feeling?"
"A little woozy. Must have been the drugs." Yor gave him a smile as he sat on the chair Yuri sat on earlier. He was dressed in his work outfit which consisted of a white lab coat over his well-tailored suit. It looked rather nice on him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and that brought a frown to her face. "How are your injuries?"
"Ah. They're taken care of."
That was all the explanation he was willing to give her, so one of his spy colleagues here at the hospital must have patched him up. But still, Yor knew better than anyone the extent of the injuries she had inflicted upon him, especially the one on his thigh. He shouldn't be up and moving this soon.
"You shouldn't be up and moving so soon!" Yor pushed herself up with her elbows, shaking her head when Loid moved to help her. "What if it doesn't heal right and leave a lasting injury?"
Loid's gaze softened. "It's good to know that you cared."
"Of course I do! You're my husband!"
It was almost insulting to assume she wouldn't care about him.
After all…
…After all?
Wait a minute.
Why do I care about him?
He's not even my real husband.
In fact, he's an enemy. I only spared his life for Anya's sake.
I don't need to care about his personal well-being.
So why did I instinctively react with concern…?
A chill ran up her spine at the thought of falling for his act.
But it wasn't a chill of terror, it was a chill of…
Excitement.
Yor gripped her sheets so hard the veins in her hands protruded.
You're playing a dangerous game, Yor.
She told herself.
Loid may be part of Twilight, but you have to remember: he only spared your life for Anya's sake.
It had nothing to do with you personally.
If Bond hadn't appeared when he did…
If Twilight didn't need Anya for his mission…
You would have been dead.
Do not forget that this is Twilight you're dealing with. A master spy from Westalis with a hundred faces and personalities.
He of all people would never develop feelings for you.
So don't fall for his act. Don't fall for him.
You're an Ostanian assassin who kills people for a living.
You're his enemy.
This is only a temporary truce.
Anya is the glue that holds the two of you together.
Without her, Twilight wouldn't hesitate to kill you.
"Yor?"
Yor let go of the sheets and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
Twi– No, Loid was waving a hand before her face with a concerned look.
What was wrong with her, drowning in her thoughts this often?
Was it the drugs?
"Sorry, I spaced out. What day is it?" Yor asked just to change the topic and get him to focus on other things.
"Tuesday. The doctors told me they had to use more than the normal amount of anesthesia to keep you sedated, so it took longer for you to wake up."
"Tuesday…" Yor turned to look at the Sun in the horizon through the window. "So Anya's in school."
"Yeah. It's almost time for me to pick her up." Loid shifted the sleeve of his white coat to glance at his watch.
"What about the school bus?"
"She wants to see you so I brought her here yesterday right after school ended. She's expecting me to do the same today, especially since you've woken up."
"I see…"
Yor didn't know what prompted him. Perhaps she accidentally let some hints of loneliness slip into her expression, or maybe her tone had a sense of forlornness. But Loid stood from his chair and, instead of turning to leave, he approached the bed and placed a hand on her forehead, lifting her bangs out of her face and brushing his fingers through her hair.
Almost like he was caressing her.
With a gentle look in his eyes, Loid said softly, "Get some rest. I'll be back to check on you later."
It was such a generic thing that all doctors would say. And that gentle look could just be him playing the compassionate Loid Forger persona. It wasn't real. Nothing was real.
But even though she knew he was probably paying lip service…
Yor still exploded into a blushing mess and yanked the sheets up to cover her face.
The last time she saw that look in his eyes, he shot her in the abdomen.
But this time, she felt like he shot her through the heart.
Camilla, Sharon, and Millie came to visit a little later. Dominic couldn't come due to work so Camilla sent his regards for him.
Surprisingly, they were all rather considerate and didn't poke fun at her. When they left, the empty nightstand beside her gained a bouquet of peonies, a basket of fruits, and some get-well cards.
Yuri rammed into the door not long after they left, apologizing profusely for taking so long because he fell asleep in the shower. This time, he brought a suitcase of clothes, shower supplies, and food with him so he could live here with her.
To protect her, he said.
He was forced to leave the room when Director McMahon came to visit.
"You look well."
The Director came to a stop beside the bed and remained standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Director." Yor sat up straighter and bowed her head slightly in greeting.
"I'll get straight to the point. Tell me what happened that night."
Yor swallowed, her eyes flickering to the locked door, hoping Yuri wasn't eavesdropping. Garden moles would probably chase him away if they saw him do so.
She glanced at the Director, but the austere aura he exuded made it even more stressful for her, so she looked down at her hands. "I went to Club Holly as directed and found a man who was knocked out and had his uniform stolen, so I knew Twilight must have disguised as him. Rather than searching for him inside the club amongst all the people, I decided to wait for him outside. Not long after, I spotted a man wearing that uniform leave the club and I waited until he took out a strip of paper—the intel, might I add—then I striked. I was planning on killing him swiftly but… I let my temper get the better of me."
"Oh? Do explain."
Yor gripped the sheets, discreetly wiping her sweaty hands on it. "He threatened my family. He saw my face during our first encounter, and he discovered my identity and my address and… When I heard the kind of things–" She willed her body to tremble in fury. She may not be trained to act but just thinking of his provoking threats was enough to get her going. All she had to do was picture Loid, Anya, and Bond lying in a pool of blood. "–he would do to them, I just couldn't help myself. I lost my cool and attacked blindly, and showed him an opening. And that's when he shot me."
"And when did you steal the intel from him?"
Like I've practiced…
"I injured his thigh, right thigh, to make him fall onto the ground. I stole the intel while he was distracted and was about to deal the final blow, and that's when he threatened my family and used my moment of shock to flip onto his feet."
"Is that so… And why did he let you escape?"
"I… think he probably hadn't realized I stole the intel so he thought there's no harm in letting me escape. Plus, he knew my address so he could end me any time."
"And why hasn't he done it yet? You'd think he would have realized you stole his intel and come after you or your family by now."
Yor gritted her teeth, keeping her eyes trained on the sheets. If she were to look him in the eyes right now, she would expose the fear swimming in her eyes. And a veteran assassin like him would surely know it was a fear of a lie being exposed rather than a fear of her family's safety. "I don't know. It was possible that by the time he realized the intel was gone, I had already been rushed to the hospital so it's too late for him to get it. Maybe he didn't think k-killing my family was necessary, since I'm already weakened. He could just come in and kill me any time. That's why my brother Yuri insisted on staying by my side because he fears the same thing."
"But not Twilight."
"No, not Twilight. He doesn't know about this job, so he thought the kidnapper had accomplices who might come after me for revenge."
"Interesting how your daughter got kidnapped on the same night as this mission."
Don't tighten your grip on the sheet. It'd look suspicious.
"But I guess coincidences do happen sometimes."
And don't sigh in relief either. It'd look even more suspicious.
A round of heavy knocks on the door startled Yor and caused her to look in the direction of the noise subconsciously. As her gaze swept past the Director, she caught a strange look in his eyes before he, too, glanced at the door.
"Yooooorrrrr! It's me! Are you done yet? Loidy and the chihua- I mean, your dau- I mean, Anya are here too!"
While the Director's attention was diverted, Yor finally allowed herself to sigh in relief.
"We will talk later," Director McMahon said as he turned to leave.
"I-I'm sorry for failing my mission this time. I swear if I encounter him next time, I'll definitely–"
"There will be no next time."
The door closed behind him after Yuri, Anya, and Loid entered.
His final words echoed in Yor's head like a bell chiming repeatedly as a wave of cold washed over her.
Was this a threat?
Or was he simply stating a fact?
After all, this was the most reliable and concrete lead they had on Twilight in the past dozen years. This opportunity was quite hard to come by, and they were most likely not going to have a chance like this any time soon.
So was he just stating a fact?
But it could also be a threat.
As one of Garden's best assassins, she had failed twice in a row. This was simply inexcusable.
What did Garden have in store for her?
Yor wished they could just tell her already, so she could be prepared.
To die. Or something equally devastating.
"I went to Club Holly as directed and found a man who was knocked out and had his uniform stolen, so I knew Twilight must have disguised as him."
Yor's muffled voice was fed into Loid's ear through a tiny, skin-colored speaker plugged into his ear, so small in fact that even Anya, who was right beside him, wouldn't have noticed it if she weren't listening to his thoughts.
While holding Anya's hand, Loid guided her through the hospital while presenting hospitable smiles to the employees in each department they pass by.
"Papa, Mama isn't a liar," Anya suddenly said, giving his hand a squeeze.
It took Loid a second to understand what she meant.
"I know, but you can never be too careful. Remember what happened to Bondman in episode 15?"
The mention of her favorite superhero had her perking up. "Bondman's inferman betrayed him and he got captured by the enemies, and it was Princess Honey who saved him by using a Honey Trap to take down all the guards!"
"And he had known his informant for over ten years."
Anya pouted. "But Mama isn't a liar like you." Loid spluttered, not expecting to be called out like this. "I heard her. Mama won't betray you."
Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Loid wanted to trust Yor. He really did.
But he couldn't.
Yor was a kind woman who was a little ditsy and dense at times but her heart was in the right place and she was a loving and protective mother of Anya, a girl who she had no obligation to care for. While the Thorn Princess was a brutal, merciless killer who had killed numerous comrades of his throughout the years and she even nearly killed him if not for that groan saving his life. At the time, he was thrown into a panic the moment that groan left his mouth and he striked her out of instinct without thinking twice. But if he hadn't attacked her back then, would she have continued on and dealt the final blow? He would like to think she wouldn't and couldn't do so.
Yor and Thorn Princess were like two sides of the same coin, but one side had more control than the other in different situations. Yor had known Loid for far too long to not grow attached to him and overpower her darker side when the Thorn Princess wanted to kill him. Unlike him, she wasn't trained to throw away attachments and cast aside useless emotions. He could kill her without batting an eye, but she couldn't do the same. (He only spared her for Anya's sake, of course. Duh.) And her love for Anya would further impede her desire to kill him, because Anya needed a father, to quote her.
Thus, he decided to let her live.
But this didn't mean he trusted her fully.
Sure, Anya could read Yor's mind and maybe Yor really was loyal to this family, but what if there was a mishap? What if she accidentally let something slip because she got drunk, or because her superiors were good with words and coaxed it out of her without her realizing? Even if she didn't plan on revealing his secrets, there were many other ways to make someone spill the beans unintentionally.
And this had Twilight worried.
There were too many factors at risk if she messed up. Twilight's identity, the goal of his mission, Anya, this pretend family, Operation Strix, Anya, WISE, hell the entire Westalis might fall and lead to countless deaths if Yor said one wrong thing.
He trusted the Thorn Princess was doing her job for the sake of peace.
But he couldn't trust Yor to keep her mouth shut.
That's why this is necessary. Loid thought to Anya, who had her chin lifted to stare at him as she tried to comprehend everything running through his mind. I trust that she won't do anything that can cause harm to you because I, too, know how much she loves you. But I can't trust her to maintain enough control and not slip up under pressure. Anya, you should know how clumsy your mom can be.
Anya nodded seriously.
I'm doing this to protect this family, not to destroy it. So keep quiet about this, okay? If she finds out, it'll only stress her out more. I'll buy you peanuts afterward.
"Peanuts!"
Perfect. That was one less thing to worry about.
"But I guess coincidences do happen sometimes."
Loid took the speaker out of his ear and slipped it into his pocket when he approached the door to Yor's room where Yuri was standing guard outside with his hands folded behind his back like the SSS officer he was.
"Loidy, and the chihuahua girl."
Yuri glared as a greeting.
Loid smiled as a greeting.
Anya was probably still thinking about peanuts.
Loid kept his eyes focused on Yor when he entered the room, adding a tinge of concern to his gaze and pressing his lips into a thin line, the perfect image of a distraught husband. But in his peripherals he was keeping a close eye on the Director who strolled past them stiffly out the door.
Matthew McMahon. Also works at City Hall. But that's proven to be just a cover job like Yor's and he's most likely also an assassin, or another collaborator working with Garden, whose rank is higher than Yor's in Garden's hierarchy. His posture, control over his facial muscles, aura… This man might not necessarily be stronger than Yor skill-wise, but he's not one to be underestimated. There's something about him, perhaps that intense concentration in his eyes, so unwavering and steady it's almost as if nothing can make him falter, that makes him as dangerous as she is.
It wasn't until McMahon was completely out the door before Loid allowed himself to ease up.
While Yuri hurried to open the window, claiming that Yor needed some fresh air because she didn't look so well, Loid made a beeline towards her with the single goal of retrieving the bug he hid beneath her pillow when he brushed her hair out of her face earlier.
But before he could, Anya had jumped onto Yor (carefully, he noticed, to not land on her wound) and was clutching her neck tightly in a bear hug.
While one of her sneaky little hands crawled beneath the pillow and retrieved the bug.
This brat!
Loid nearly got a heart attack.
Anya! What do you think you're doing!?
Anya giggled as she jumped back off of the bed and a smirk manifested on her face when she turned her back to Yor and pranced up to him, placing her hand and the bug inside his pocket.
You're going to give it away!
"Is Anya a good girl?" She blinked innocently.
…Well, she may need to work on 'minding her own business' but he supposed she was a good girl for not exposing him.
"Hehe! Peanuts!" She threw her hands up in the air, celebrating.
Wait till she found out she wouldn't be getting any peanuts for a long time.
Anya's jaw dropped as she rounded on him with a bewildered look, but Loid didn't need to elaborate because the explanation she was seeking arrived in the form of Yuri Briar furiously pointing a finger at Loid.
"So, about time you explain yourself, Loid Forger! Why did you let my sister get hurt!?"
Loid sighed.
This is going to take a while.
Anya teared up.
"Peanuts… TAT"
The Shopkeeper continued trimming the tree and didn't say a thing while McMahon gave him Thorn Princess' report.
"Indeed, there were many questionable points in this report. However, there was one thing you didn't notice." The Shopkeeper finally turned around with an amused glint in his eyes, but he was far from amused. "Isn't it interesting how the man who kidnapped her daughter and ended up dying under her hand just so happened to work for the client who ordered a hit on Twilight?"
"Do you think Thorn Princess knows the client?"
"Try again."
McMahon frowned. "If not the client, then maybe…Twilight?"
The Shopkeeper stabbed the shears into the soil, his pleasant smile ever so present on his face. "Client wants Twilight dead, kidnapper who knows the client kidnaps the daughter of Thorn Princess of all people, and gets killed by her. I believe there's a lot we can dissect from this. How are the police treating this case?"
"They have already closed the case. They believe it's just a normal kidnapping case."
"As expected. They're no use at all. This is why the Secret Police are necessary. Contact the boss of the SSS. I want someone competent to dissect this case thoroughly. Because if my suspicion is correct, the Thorn Princess probably knows Twilight personally. And the kidnapper must have seen or known something that could expose Twilight's identity and/or their relationship."
"Do you believe Thorn Princess is willing to betray her country for a foreign spy?"
"People can do anything out of love, especially if their loved ones turned out to be an enemy. Who are the close male figures in her life?"
McMahon pushed up his glasses, obscuring his expression. "Her younger brother, Yuri Briar, a civil servant, and her husband, Loid Forger, a psychiatrist."
"Her younger brother would be too young to be Twilight, but that doesn't exclude the possibility that he might know Twilight personally which means his sister would know as well. Her husband would be old enough to be Twilight, but he has a daughter. Spies can have families and kids but I don't see a skilled and active spy like Twilight leaving an obvious weakness walking around. Unless that kid is not his and he has no love for her…" The Shopkeeper pulled the shears out and went back to trimming. "The client might also know more than they let on, but it isn't our job to interrogate and investigate. So contact the SSS and get them involved."
"Yes Sir."
"No matter how beautiful a plant may be, it's inevitable that there will be dead or overgrown branches tainting its appearance. Sometimes, even the most beautiful branch can overgrown its use."
Snip.
"To all who shall see these presents, greeting: Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of Yuri Briar, I do appoint this officer a First Lieutenant in the State Security Service to rank as such from the XX day of XXX, 19XX. This appointee will therefore carefully and diligently discharge the duties of the grade to which appointed by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto pertaining. And I do strictly charge and require all personnel of lesser grade to render obedience to appropriate orders. And this appointee is to observe and follow such orders and directions as may be given from time to time…"
The new rank insignia weighed heavily on Yuri's collar. This was the weight of responsibility, pressure, and, most importantly, power.
With a cheerful grin, Yuri shook hands with everyone who came up to him after the ceremony. Shaking hands and giving him their congratulations weren't part of their Rules of Conduct, but not doing so was akin to disrespecting him, which could be considered a violation of the article that detailed the extent of punishment for disrespecting a superior officer (only if the offender was beneath his rank).
Yuri, however, couldn't care less if someone refused to shake his hand.
He glanced at a certain Second Lieutenant glaring at him from the corner of the room.
His name escaped Yuri, because it wasn't important enough for him to remember. The only things worth remembering was Yor and anything related or could indirectly be related to her. Someone refusing to shake his hand wasn't going to affect Yor. Plus, such a minor issue, if brought up, would just make him sound petty. Sure, he could take offense to that and press charges against that guy but the punishment would at most be a pay reduction. Not worth the effort. He could have better used this time by cleansing this rotten world for the sake of his sister.
Not to mention, this guy had always been hating on him one-sidedly without doing anything about it. Yuri didn't know where the hatred came from but if he had to guess it was probably because he climbed up the ranks faster than he did despite being much younger than him. A lot of people were jealous of his accomplishment, but none were as brazen in their resentment as this guy. Well, if he never did anything, then there was an even lesser chance he'd do something now that Yuri was a rank above him.
Yuri directed a pleasant smile his way which turned into a sneer when that guy curled his lips and looked away. Pleased, he went back to shaking hands, eventually reaching his First Lieutenant friend who he had worked under for as long as he could remember. Finally, they were on equal rank and he could take on cases all by himself now. It made him a little sad that he'd have to say goodbye to the other Lieutenant.
"Are you crying, Yuri?"
"These are tears of joy, Sir!" Yuri insisted as he nearly crushed the man's hand. "I'm just so happy that I can finally get my hands on it and get revenge for my sister!"
"You don't need to call me Sir any more. We're equal ranks now."
"But Sir!"
His friend sighed.
"Yuri!"
Yuri dropped the hand in an instant when he heard the boss call out for him. The boss was, as always, wearing a pair of sunglasses even indoors. He beckoned him over like he was a little puppy. Yuri didn't exactly hate it, though. He needed to get in his boss' favor.
"Congratulations on your promotion." The boss clapped him on his back and laughed heartily.
"Thank you, Sir!" Yuri snapped to attention.
"About that case you talked to me about, the police ended up turning it over to us. They closed it but I think there's more to it. It might even involve 'Twilight'."
At the mention of the dastardly villain, Yuri perked up as growing fury coiled in his chest.
Twilight…was involved?
Which meant he was indirectly related to his sister getting shot in the goddamn stomach!?
"I believe you're the best man for the job. Now that you're a First Lieutenant and can take on cases all by yourself, I will be assigning this case to you. Your sister and niece are the victims, as you very well know, so I don't doubt you will give your all in finding the perpetrators who are involved, no matter how they may try to paint this as a normal kidnapping case."
"Of course! You can count on me, Sir!" A twisted smile climbed onto Yuri's face at the prospect of giving Twilight what he deserved. Even the boss' lips twitched at the sight. "Those bastards won't know what hit them when I'm done with them."
It had been a month since the incident. Yor had been discharged a few days ago and was preparing to return to the work despite multiple people strongly advising her against it. Loid wouldn't be surprised if along with her superhuman strength and speed she also had superhuman recovery time, so he wasn't that worried about her returning to work.
What he was more worried about was the car parked across the street with a very familiar figure seated in it for almost all day.
That car first appeared the day Yor was discharged.
It'd be there when Loid went to sleep, and it'd still be there when he woke up.
One more day passed before he finally couldn't resist sauntering across the street and rapping his knuckles against the window, startling the driver into dropping his sandwich.
"What do you want, Lottie."
The window rolled down to show the disgruntled face of one Yuri Briar.
"We're having lunch. Wanna join us?"
"Lunch? Made by you? Peh! As if I'd want to eat anything cooked by you of all people!" Yuri spat as he took a huge bite out of his sandwich he just picked up from the ground as if to make a point. "I have this delicious sandwich I bought from the *munch* store around the corner. Even though it's stale it still tastes better than *munch* your food!"
"I did cook most of the lunch but Yor cooked one of the–"
"I'm joining."
And so, an annoyed Yuri Briar joined in on the Forger lunch.
"This is delicious!" Yuri exclaimed in between huge bites. "I knew you make the best food, Yor!"
Loid couldn't help it. "Actually, I made that…"
It was like poking a beehive.
How fun.
Yuri choked on his food and swatted Loid's hand away when he reached out to pat his back. Anya handed him a glass of water. "Ha, thank you, chi– I mean, little girl."
"You're welcome!" Anya exclaimed.
"So what brings you here, Yuri?" Yor asked.
"I'm protecting you!"
"By watching from across the street in your car all day?"
Yuri snapped his head around to glare at Loid as if blaming him for exposing him like that.
Yor paled. "In your car!? For how long!? You don't need to do this for me, Yuri. You should go home and sleep on your own bed. And didn't you just get promoted? You should focus on your work…"
"Don't worry. My current r– uh, position gives me more freedom than before so no one would question me if they don't see me all day. Plus, my current project can be done remotely, so I'm working in the car while simultaneously maintaining surveillance on your property."
"But… I can't just let you hole up in your car all day, for my sake."
Anya glanced at Yor, then at Yuri, and finally at Loid. And slowly, a creepy smile slithered onto her face.
Loid felt his heart jump to his throat.
It was that smirk again… The same smirk she had on when she nearly gave him a heart attack by helping him retrieve the bug.
What's she planning this time?
"Mama, why don't we let Uncle Yuri live with us? So he doesn't have to sleep in his car!"
Loid's fork clattered onto the table when a piece of meat went down the wrong pipe. He choked and blindly reached for his glass of wine, downing it all to ease the food and his heart down to their appropriate place.
This little gremlin… I knew it. Why am I not surprised that she would invite a Secret Police to live with us to make things more 'exciting'? As if having a spy and an assassin from rival countries living together wasn't chaotic enough. Why not invite Nightfall here while you're at it!?
He wanted to facepalm and slam his head onto the table and find an empty castle and scream at the top of his lungs, in that order. And he tried to convey all this to Yor through his gaze, but of course, she didn't receive his telepathic transmission and clapped her hands together in agreement.
"That's a wonderful idea!"
AN:
Loid: Come on, Yor! Remember the mission! Remember our secrets! We finally don't have to hide our secrets from each other anymore so inviting your brother to live with us would be counterproductive. Plus, having one more occupant would make sneaking out at night even harder, especially since he's a trained SSS officer!
Anya: ...Uncle Yuri isn't gonna hurt us cuz Mama said family is more impotent than anything in this world.
My headcanon is that Garden doesn't know Yuri's in the SSS and they also don't give out the identity of their assassins to anyone. So when Garden told Yuri's boss about this case, they omitted Thorn Princess' identity and involvement and only told him to investigate and focus on suspicious activities that can lead them to Twilight. That's why this withholding of vital info caused the Boss to end up giving the case to Yuri, who's the last person he should have given it to...